Full Term Chicks That Fail to Pip

[Hannah15]

I had five chicks hatch a week ago. There were three others that developed full term. When candling I saw no movement, no internal pipping, and no peeping. On day 22, I cracked open the air cell end of the egg and all three were dead in the shell, and had not even pipped internally. All three were mal-positioned slightly. (Two had their heads over their wing, one was a bit worse I think, it's head was in the same place as the other two, but one hock was also at the top of the egg.) These were shipped eggs, and almost all of them had saddle shaped air cells.

I have another set of eggs of the same breed, from the same breeder. These eggs were not terribly cheap, so I would really like to minimize losses. The new eggs that are developing seem to have better air cells for the most part, except for a couple. Does anyone have any advice for how to avoid these same issues, or how to help the ones that have problems? The humidity during the hatch was around 60-65%, but I still found that I had to help one slightly that had zipped almost all of the way around and got stuck. (That chick is doing great now.) Could the three chicks that died in the shell have been shrink wrapped even though they hadn't even pipped internally? I didn't think their internal membrane seemed too dry when I opened the eggs.

What confuses me the most is, after reading the article on this site about assisting chicks it sounds like there wasn't much that should have killed them by the start of the 22nd day. What could they have actually died from? They seemed perfectly formed, and they couldn't have suffocated without pipping internally, correct? What am I missing? I'm sure it is something obvious...

Thank you for any help.

 

[Fuentes Farm]

Im sorry : ( I would like to know too! I have four eggs im waiting to hatch as of tonight at 9 pm made the 21st day. Nothing yet other then I see the eggs move here and there. They are shipped eggs as well. I hope they hatch.

 

[karribell]

Well I have a goose egg and it is pecking inside how old would it be possibly any way to tell and I don't know much need help with anything and everything!

 

[Fuentes Farm]

Well probably getting ready to hatch. What is your humidity at?

 

[karribell]

That's the thing my son found the egg kayaking and the mother sent the egg rolling down a slope

 

[karribell]

He brought it home to me and I have nothing so I am nesting it in my bra I know it sounds weird but its doing rather well so far cause body temp is 98.6 I thought it should stay warm enough

 

[Fuentes Farm]

O well you need to get is warm and it definitely need to have humidity or it will dry out. Im not really experienced but I do know it needs humidity wet a couple sponges and put them in something like a ice chest and and keeo the lid closed a but leave it open just enough for a lil air I guess I wish I knew what to tell you and it doesnt help when no one gives any feed back.

 

[blucoondawg]

I had five chicks hatch a week ago.  There were three others that developed full term.  When candling I saw no movement, no internal pipping, and no peeping.  On day 22, I cracked open the air cell end of the egg and all three were dead in the shell, and had not even pipped internally.  All three were mal-positioned slightly.  (Two had their heads over their wing, one was a bit worse I think, it's head was in the same place as the other two, but one hock was also at the top of the egg.)  These were shipped eggs, and almost all of them had saddle shaped air cells.

I have another set of eggs of the same breed, from the same breeder.  These eggs were not terribly cheap, so I would really like to minimize losses.  The new eggs that are developing seem to have better air cells for the most part, except for a couple.  Does anyone have any advice for how to avoid these same issues, or how to help the ones that have problems?  The humidity during the hatch was around 60-65%, but I still found that I had to help one slightly that had zipped almost all of the way around and got stuck.  (That chick is doing great now.)  Could the three chicks that died in the shell have been shrink wrapped even though they hadn't even pipped internally?  I didn't think their internal membrane seemed too dry when I opened the eggs.

What confuses me the most is, after reading the article on this site about assisting chicks it sounds like there wasn't much that should have killed them by the start of the 22nd day.  What could they have actually died from?  They seemed perfectly formed, and they couldn't have suffocated without pipping internally, correct?  What am I missing?  I'm sure it is something obvious...

Thank you for any help.

my guess is they were incubated at a higher humidity during the first 18 days which caused the air cell to not shrink enough and the chicks to grow too large which caused them to be too
Large to maneuver around and get positioned to pip. If they were developed to the point they needed to pip and breath air they most certainly would suffocate if they cannot pip.

 

[karribell]

We have been feeling it move for two days now and sometimes it rests for awhile I have a stethescope and he's still active how long does it take them once they start moving And pecking.

 

[Fuentes Farm]

Can take a couple hours or longer. But the minute he bresks through the shell and theres no humidity hes not gonna be able to get any further he will dry up its very sad from what ive been told. Kinda like they shrink rap amd die slowly just make sure there water in jars or wet sponges so important at this point its the most important part.